Letter from the President

RICHARD JABARA, PRESIDENT & CEO

Once upon a time there was an ever-changing hospitality business…..

Since my partner, William Meyer, and I began Meyer Jabara Hotels in 1977 we have seen the hotel industry change drastically. The hotel companies that have remained successful throughout these changes have done so by keeping their eyes on the customer and not on ownership.

In our early days the customer wanted a clean room at a good price. Then demand grew. The customer asked for special amenities and conveniences like coffee pots and hair dryers, ironing boards and refrigerators, so we added those. The customers sought excellent service and less of price. The technology age required hotels to offer high speed internet access or wireless connectivity.

Today the customer wants all that he has always wanted but he is tired of the commoditization of the hotel room…he wants an experience worth remembering. At MJH we operate with a "Hospitality Pyramid" mindset. At the bottom, widest part of the pyramid, we build our foundation of hospitality operational excellence. We do have all the state-of-the-art amenities, beautiful furnishings and exceptional customer service, but on top of that foundation we layer unique, repeatable and referable personalized experiences. We have created destination experiences in each of our properties. The hotels set themselves apart by creating a theme utilizing the physical design, layout and décor of the hotel as well as the personal interaction with the staff. Each property has its own themed experience which celebrates the heritage, culture and uniqueness of the city in which it is located. The hotel team partners with local attractions and offerings to create experiences which are unique to the region so our guests truly engage in the flavors and nuances of the geographic region. We represent the best brands in the business as well as some independent boutique hotels. While we strive to be among the best of the best in the franchise world, we also strive to create a brand-within-a-brand encouraging guests to know that staying at a Meyer Jabara owned and operated hotel is truly an experience worth repeating.

In order to do this we must have exceptional people. We know we are not in the bed business. We know we are in the people business: the better our people, the better our business. So that is why we spend a lot of time and money encouraging our people to learn and develop. Meyer Jabara has a unique corporate culture in the hotel industry, one in which our employees help to shape the direction of the company as well as their own hotels. For several years we have enjoyed ZERO voluntary turnover among management, a figure which is almost unheard of in this business. Each member of leadership is on a personal learning and development plan. Our annual goals are interlocked all the way through the organization with the "customer" sitting atop our organizational chart.

At Meyer Jabara Hotels we know when our guests and associates choose to be loyal to us; our financial partners likewise choose to continue to do business with us. Bill Meyer and I have relationships with investors that span decades of success. We also work to serve the communities in which we do business. All of our General Managers are encouraged to get involved with the economic and social success of their communities.

Meyer Jabara Hotels is a unique place to work and stay. We have the best associates, guests and business partners in the business. I have the best job which is getting to tell the unique Meyer Jabara Hotels story over and over again.